Sen. Jim Wright opposes plan to ease driving for illegals

Staff reports

Friday

Sep 28, 2007 at 12:01 AMSep 28, 2007 at 8:04 PM

State Senator Jim Wright has voiced his opposition to Gov. Spitzer’s announcement of policy changes which allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens by eliminating the need for a social security number on applications.

State Senator Jim Wright has voiced his opposition to Gov. Spitzer’s announcement of policy changes which allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens by eliminating the need for a social security number on applications.

Wright questioned the governor’s unilateral authority in making this decision, given Section 502 of the state Vehicle and Traffic Law specifically requires that a person must provide their social security number when applying for a driver’s license.

“This 1995 law was upheld by the New York State Court of Appeals in June 2007. These changes would also seriously jeopardize the security and reliability that a New York State driver’s license is intended to provide. There are major safety concerns to consider with this new policy and a number of negative consequences,” said Wright.

In the wake of the tragic events of 9/11, New York State strengthened its DMV regulations to protect its citizens. “The governor’s attempt to loosen these regulations and allow individuals without a social security number to obtain a license means New Yorkers will be put at greater risk,” said Wright.

In addition to security concerns, Wright also pointed out that the new measure is not in compliance with the federal Real ID Act, a program which strengthens the security of driver’s licenses by requiring social security number background checks on license applications.

Wright explained, “As a representative of northern New York and a significant portion of the U.S.-Canandian border, I hear consistently from constituents about their problems with crossing the border, especially extended wait times. As such, I recently hosted discussions in both Clayton and Ogdensburg regarding shared border issues and tourism. The number one issue at both sessions was the need for an enhanced identification system in order to facilitate more expeditious business and travel-related border crossing.”

Wright went on to say, “Legislators on local, state and federal levels have been working together to balance security measures and develop means by which citizens can travel safely and with ease to and from our neighboring nations. The federal government has instituted a pilotprogram that uses a high-tech state license instead of passports for travel to Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, but unfortunately Gov. Spitzer’s newpolicy would disqualify New Yorkers’ eligibility for this program and in turn create considerable obstacles for moving forward with the creation of menhanced, secure drivers’ licenses.”

In June, the state of Vermont announced a partnership with the federal government to work on developing a technologically advanced driver's license which will meet the new security requirements and allow for residents to use their drivers’ licenses to cross the borders from the U.S. by land or sea in place of a passport. Wright has long advocated for the development of an enhanced driver’s license, similar to Vermont’s recent agreement with Homeland Security, and has corresponded with state and federal officials, outlining his opposition to the federal passport requirement.

While New York State would benefit from an initiative similar to Vermont’s, the governor’s announcement may give the federal government justification for not allowing the state to move forward in developing its own program.

“As this policy works against all the efforts that have been put forth to ensure that U.S. citizens will not need passports for entry into Canada, it will have a seriously detrimental impact on the economy and lives of citizens on both sides of the border. Furthermore, it is a major step backwards in providing for the safety and security of New Yorkers in the post-9/11 world,” said Wright.